Iran uses advanced technologies such as drones, facial recognition systems and a citizen declaration application to enforce its strict hijab laws, a United Nations reported on Friday.
The report, compiled by the international mission independent of the facts on Iran, highlighted serious human rights violations by the Iranian authorities following generalized demonstrations launched by the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, in the regime care in September 2022. He occurred after two years of investigation, which included the interview of 285 victims and witnesses and analyzing on 38,000 articles.
Amini was arrested by the so-called “morality police” for pretending to have failed to join the country’s hijab regulations. The manifestations, among the most important acts of resistance since the fall of the Shah, have triggered national demonstrations which quickly evolved into a broader movement against the oppressive policies of the government, in particular its restrictions on the rights and freedoms of women. The rallying cry of demonstrations has become “woman, life, freedom”, symbolizing the demand for gender equality and personal freedom.
Human rights groups said that at least 500 people were killed during demonstrations – while state media reported that the number was closer to 200 – with nearly 20,000 orders.
“By eliminating the national demonstrations of 2022, the Iranian authorities have committed serious human rights violations, some of which have been deemed to constitute crimes against humanity,” said Sara Hossain, president of the mission of research.
“We have received numerous painful testimonies of serious physical and psychological violence, as well as generalized violations of fair trials and rights to regular procedure, including cases involving children as young as seven years,” added Hostaine.
Since April 2024, the Iranian government has intensified its repression against women who have resisted the compulsory law of the hijab thanks to the implementation of the Noor plan. The report said that women defenders of human rights and activists have faced criminal sanctions, including fines, long prison sentences and, in some cases, the death penalty for having peacefully defended human rights.
Speaking in Geneva during a session of the Human Rights Council, Hostain stressed that the ethnic and religious minorities in Iran were “specifically targeted during the demonstrations”, some of the most serious abuses occurring in regions dominated by the minorities which were epicenters of demonstrations. The testimonies collected inside and outside Iran and shared with the detailed Iranian government of cases where men, women and children were detained “under the threat of a firearm” and subjected to psychological torture, such as having nodes placed around their neck.
The mission of disturbing facts, made up of human rights experts, acting independently, noted that these measures contradict the pre -selective promises made by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to soften the strict application of the laws of the hijab. Instead, the government has more and more supported by state -supported technology, surveillance and vigilant to maintain control. The Noor plan is a perfect example of how the regime has gone from the physical application, with its use of the morality police, to digital surveillance to suppress resentment and protest.
The growing dependence of the Iranian government with regard to technological programs, such as AI, facial recognition and digital police, also closely reflects the mass monitoring state of China, in particular its use of advanced technologies to remove minorities, such as oughurs, in the province of Xinjiang.
In China, the government employs facial recognition cameras, predictive police officers focused on AI and social credit systems to control the Muslim Ouesta population, effectively creating a high -tech police state. Iran now adopts a similar model, expanding digital surveillance in daily life.
In recent years, Tehran and Beijing have deepened their technological cooperation, Iran probably important Iran of Chinese surveillance tools and AI capacities to strengthen its domestic repression.
The main difference, however, is that if China disguises its actions under the pretension of the fight against terrorism, Iran explicitly uses these technologies for police officer religious behavior and apply sex -based discrimination.
Shaheen Sardar Ali of the independent mission explained: “Online surveillance has become a key tool for state repression. For example, Instagram accounts have been closed, and SIM cards, in particular those belonging to human rights defenders, including activists, have been confiscated. »»
Ali also underlined the use of the “Nazer” application, which allows approved citizens to report individuals seen without the compulsory hijab. “This technology,” she said, “is very invasive and considerably extends the scope of state surveillance.”
The report also indicates that 10 men were executed as part of the 2022 demonstrations, while at least 11 men and three women remain at risk of execution. The mission has expressed serious concerns concerning the lack of fair trial, in particular the use of confessions obtained by torture and other violations of the regular procedure.
The conclusions of the mission of teaching facts will be presented to the member states of the Human Rights Council next Tuesday. Created by the Council in November 2022, the mission was mandated to investigate alleged violations of human rights in Iran linked to the demonstrations which began in September of the same year, with a particular accent on women and children. He was also responsible for bringing together, analyzing and preserving the evidence of these violations to support potential legal proceedings.
Iran’s hijab laws and domestic conflicts
In December, the Iranian Parliament (Majles) approved the last “Hijab and chastity bill”. The bill requires wearing a hijab for all women in public and online forums for girls as young as 12 years old.
After the “Amini demonstrations” 2022, an investigation revealed that 93% of women opposed the taxation of the hijab. In addition, around 40% to 45% of women in the country no longer adhere to the compulsory Hijab law. This additional challenge poses an important challenge for the regime, because the hijab is not a religious symbol but as a control tool.
Authoritarian regimes often apply strict clothing laws to assert domination over the physical and ideological autonomy of their citizens. The inability of the Iranian government to tolerate the non-compliance of the laws of the hijab highlights its dependence on these measures to maintain authority.
In response to demonstrations, the Iranian government has implemented severe measures to remove dissent, including internet access breakdowns, social networks restrictions and the use of tear gas and living ammunition against demonstrators. In the spring of 2023, the demonstrations had greatly decreased, but the regime retained firm control over the country.
A more recent survey conducted last year in Iran indicated a significant change in the attitudes of the company, especially among young people. Almost 40% of young Iranians have expressed any belief in God and rejected the concept of an Islamist state.
This growing secularization and this disillusionment with the theocratic rule highlight a broader rejection of the ideals that supported the Islamic revolution over 45 years ago.
The drop in religious beliefs and desire among young Iranians of modernization also reflect a broader trend in the Muslim world, as we can see in countries like Saudi Arabia, where Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has exercised politicians to modernize the nation and move away from strict Islamic mandates.
There are also economic and religious factors in increasing dissent among Iranians at the national level. The streets of Tehran are plagued by misfortune, while ordinary workers are deeply unhappy with the directing regime due to financial costs. This battle does not only concern hijabs, but a greater crisis of legitimacy for the regime.
Khamenei’s propaganda and desire and the desire to place themselves as the protector of the Muslim people do not impress ordinary Iranians. His continuous support for proxy groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas in their wars against Israel led people in Iran to consider the regime’s priorities as Askew – prioritizing the support of former president of Syria Bashar al -Assad up to 50 billion dollars for example – instead of improving the life of the Iranian people.
The disability of the regime to solve these critical problems, such as economic instability, high inflation rates exceeding 40% and general shortages of essential resources – such as electricity, natural gas, essence and water – as well as the problem of hijab, has eroded public confidence.
These challenges continuously contribute to a feeling of dissatisfaction and difficulties among the population, undergoing the legitimacy of the regime more than 45 years after the Revolution.
Despite its efforts to maintain control, the government’s inability to solve these systemic problems has led to general disillusionment, in particular among the young generations who no longer consider the Islamic Republic as a model of viable or desirable governance.
